Proud Member of the Read The Bills Act Coalition

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

A Government of Enumerated Powers

After reading today's Downsizer Dispatch reporting the growing number of cosponsors for John Shadegg's Enumerated Powers Act, I felt compelled to write my congressmen to support it.

Please bring John Shadegg's 'Enumerated Powers Act' (HR 450) to a vote as soon as possible, and please do all you can to support the passage of this bill. The federal government is defined in the constitution as a government of enumerated powers. The supreme court has affirmed this fact many times. And yet, most federal bills today blatantly overstep these powers. Our founding fathers knew very well what unchecked government power was capable of and wisely limited government's power. The federal government has ignored these restrictions for too long, and we already feel the damaging effects of a power-hungry central government through more and more laws that restrict rights, higher federal taxes, and more reckless deficit spending.The federal government is not responsible for ruling the nation- each state is sovereign and can create its own laws and regulations. If these laws and regulations are beneficial, they will inevitably be accepted throughout the union. You have sworn an oath to honor and uphold the Constitution. Please support this bill and force Washington to exercise ONLY the enumerated powers given to it in the Constitution.

It is exciting that bills like this one and also Ron Paul's "Audit the Fed" bill are gaining so much momentum in congress. I suppose it is inevitable that after times of massive expansions of Federal power, people realize the harm done and try to reverse the trend- often unsuccessfully. However, the wave of deregulation after the 1930s and 40s is evidence that this sort of trend has happened before. This bill, however, is particularly exciting, as apparently the Constitution hasn't been enough to restrain overeager government. Perhaps by bringing this issue to light, the inevitably growing number of dissatisfied citizens will take notice of the injustice Washington has wrought on this nation for decades and, at least for a few years, realize that small government is the best government.